10 Common Mistakes Companies Make During Corporate Tax Registration in Dubai (And How to Avoid Them)
T he UAE introduced Federal Corporate Tax under Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022, applicable to financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023. For thousands of companies across Dubai and the wider UAE, this marked the first time they had to register for, calculate, and file a corporate tax return. And while the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has made the process digital and structured, many businesses still get it wrong at the very first step: registration. The mistakes are rarely dramatic. They are small oversights that lead to rejected applications, missed deadlines, and avoidable penalties. Below are the ten most common ones, along with how to avoid each. Quick Context: Why Corporate Tax Registration Matters in the UAE Under the new framework, taxable income above AED 375,000 is taxed at 9%, while income at or below that threshold is taxed at 0%. However, the income threshold does not exempt anyone from registration. Every taxable person, including free zone entities, must reg...